As children, it is healthy emotional contact with our parents that brings us forward as strong and vibrant creatures and provides us with mental and emotional structure as we inch our way through the challenges of childhood. It’s a time we rely on our parents (especially our mothers!) to hold up their end of this agreement and to “listen” to us emotionally... but things don’t always go so well.

When the parents or loved ones we trusted to protect and to understand our hearts and minds have instead abused, disregarded, or abandoned that trust, or have simply failed to resonate effectively with us, our mental life becomes complicated and painful; we sometimes have to engage in disturbing behaviors just to “set things right.” Or, often, we’re simply anxious and unhappy for time on end wi